Delhi Court Extends Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's Judicial Custody

BY A STAFF REPORTER: Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Monday extended Delhi CM and AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal's judicial custody in the excise policy case till April 23.

As his judicial custody was set to end today, Arvind Kejriwal was produced before the Rouse Avenue Court via video conferencing from the Tihar Jail. Subsequently, the bench extended his custody for eight days.

Earlier today, the Rouse Avenue Court also granted judicial custody to BRS MLC K Kavitha for eight days till April 23. Earlier she was in CBI's remand.

Arvind Kejriwal also met his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann in Tihar Jail after a second request. After meeting Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann claimed that he was being treated as a hardcore criminal under the custody.

The Delhi High Court dismissed Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest on April 9, Tuesday. A single-judge bench led by Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma ruled that the Enforcement Directorate possessed sufficient evidence to arrest Arvind Kejriwal. Moreover, it also ruled that CM Arvind Kejriwal will not enjoy any special privileges as the judges as bound by the law and not politics. 

The authorities shifted Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to Tihar Jail and lodged him in jail number two following the orders of Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court which granted Judicial custody of 15 days to Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi Liquorgate case on April 1, Monday. Previously, Kejriwal was under the Enforcement Directorate's custody in the Delhi excise policy case since his arrest.

The Enforcement Directorate arrested Delhi CM and AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal from his residence in connection with the Delhi Liquorgate case. He was arrested following search operations and Interrogations conducted by the ED at his residence on March 21, Thursday.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh walked out of the Tihar jail on April 3, Wednesday as the Supreme Court on Tuesday granted him bail as the ED failed to recover money pertinent to the the scam. Moreover, he was arrested on October 4, 2023. However, the bail order is not precedent.